MY PRIORITY
Limit Devices
We must constantly evaluate whether and how technology advances education and how it may be standing in the way of student progress. Getting this right means focusing on four things:
Intentional, evidence-based use
Instructional technology should only be used when there's a clear academic rationale and a demonstrated reason to believe it will advance teaching and learning. As the school board’s liaison to the Devices Working Group, I led changes that included eliminating devices entirely in pre-K and kindergarten and moving 1st and 2nd grade to grade-level carts instead of individual devices. This is the standard I want applied everywhere: technology earns its place in the classroom, it isn't assumed. That also means prioritizing proven learning fundamentals—textbooks, more handwriting, and rigorous reading and writing instruction.
A smart, careful approach to AI.
AI is moving faster than most school systems can keep up with, and it's bringing opportunities alongside real risks. I want APS to develop a forward-looking but careful approach to AI in teaching and learning, one that's intentional about where AI genuinely helps and clear-eyed about where it doesn't.
More information and control for parents.
Parents deserve to know how their kids are actually using school devices: how much time they're spending on them, what kind of content they're accessing, and what instructional purpose it's serving. That information helps parents have real conversations with their kids about their digital habits, and it can help prevent the conflicts and disruptions that often follow devices home. I want APS to give parents clearer visibility and more meaningful control over what their children can access.
Teacher input, every step of the way.
None of this works without listening to the people with the deepest expertise on what works in the classroom: our teachers. Before we revised our elementary device guidelines, I met personally with teachers to hear how they use technology to support learning, and that direct feedback shaped the outcome. I'll keep seeking out teacher input well before decisions get made.